1. Field of the Invention
One embodiment of the present invention relates to an input device having flexibility. Another embodiment of the present invention relates to an input device capable of being customized. Another embodiment of the present invention relates to an input device having a stimulus outputting function to stimulate user's sense of touch. Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a system of the input device. Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a system that determines and displays the position of a button in the input device capable of being customized.
Note that one embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the above technical field. The technical field of one embodiment of the invention disclosed in this specification and the like relates to an object, a method, or a manufacturing method. Furthermore, one embodiment of the present invention relates to a process, a machine, manufacture, or a composition of matter. Specifically, examples of the technical field of one embodiment of the present invention disclosed in this specification include a semiconductor device, a display device, a liquid crystal display device, a light-emitting device, a lighting device, a power storage device, a memory device, a method for driving any of them, and a method for manufacturing any of them.
In this specification and the like, a semiconductor device refers to any device that can function by utilizing semiconductor characteristics. A transistor and a semiconductor circuit are embodiments of semiconductor devices. A memory device, a display device, an imaging device, and an electronic device include a semiconductor device in some cases.
2. Description of the Related Art
Modern human life is surrounded by a wide variety of devices and machines, whose types and functions have been increasing over the years. Almost all of the devices and machines require input devices, which are necessary in order that a user properly operates the devices and machines as they are expected. In other words, human beings are surrounded by a variety of input devices as well as a variety of devices and machines.
A remote controller is an example of the input device for operating television sets. A keyboard and a mouse are examples of the input device for operating personal computers. A controller is an example of the input device for operating game consoles. Furthermore, operation buttons of household washing machines and industrial machines are naturally included in the category of the input device.
There are a variety of input devices that are connected to different kinds of devices and machines and are expected to be operated in different ways. In some devices and machines, users can exchange only the input devices to suit their preference and improve the ease of use, and a wide variety of corresponding input devices have been put on the market. With complicated operation of devices and machines, the user's intention needs to be input accurately and specifically. Thus, the input device capable of complicated operation, such as the one with an increased number of buttons or the one incorporating an analog stick, has come on the market. However, the physique and preference differ between genders and ages, and thus an input device optimized for a user is not necessarily suitable for another user.
For game consoles, the development of controllers has been promoted so that hardware could be customized to some extent in accordance with the physique and preference of an individual player. For example, in the “Xbox Elite Wireless Controller” launched by Microsoft Corporation, buttons and sticks on the controller can be interchanged with attachments so as to select the button shape and change the stick length. The controller with customized hardware adapts to the user's unique style of play.
However, even such a controller cannot adapt to all users because they cannot change the positions of buttons and sticks, the number of buttons, and the shape of the controller housing. The controller cannot deal with the situation in which hand size generally differs between adults and children and right-handed and left-handed users operate the device in a different way.
In recent years, devices incorporating input devices with touch panels have been widely used as typified by smartphones and tablet PCs. Interface functions such as input buttons are displayed on a display portion integrated with a touch panel, and users can touch an image displayed as an operation button as if they press a physical button. A PC keyboard using a touch panel that functions as keys is known (Patent Document 1). However, with a flat housing and a constant key size, like commonly used PC keyboards, the touch panel keyboard cannot be an input device suitable for all users with different physiques. Furthermore, the flat keyboard gives less sense of pressing buttons than three-dimensional common keyboards.